Jaguar E-Pace mule spy photos

Jaguar Land Rover is reportedly working on a second SUV, said to be known as the Jaguar E-Pace, and our spy photographers have nabbed what they believe to be the first visual proof.

Although this mule wears a Range Rover Evoque body, our spies believe that it’s an early mule for the new Jaguar E-Pace SUV.

The obvious clue is the reams and reams of disguise that Jaguar Land Rover has covered this car in. Another is that, unlike previous Land Rover and Range Rover prototypes and mules, this “Evoque” was actually registered with the British Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by Jaguar.

According to the DVLA, the vehicle was registered at the beginning of December 2015 and is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.

As the E-Pace name implies, the new SUV will be positioned below the recently launched F-Pace crossover. Whereas the F-Pace shares its general dimensions, as well as much of its interior, with the XF, the E-Pace is said to be quite a different beast from the 3 Series-class XE.

While the XE, XF, and the F-Pace are built on the company’s new aluminium intensive rear- and all-wheel drive “iQ Al” platform. A report last year in Car indicated the new E-Pace will use a version of the front- and all-wheel drive “D8” platform that underpins both the Range Rover Evoque and the new Land Rover Discovery Sport.

According to the magazine, cost and development time are the key reasons Jaguar decided to opt for the older all-steel platform, which has roots tracing back to when Land Rover was part of Ford’s luxury car empire.

Power is likely come from turbocharged four-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines.

Reports and rumours indicate that the new E-Pace could be revealed as early as the end of 2017, with vehicles entering showrooms around the world from 2018.